Password Protecting Documents using a zip
program.
Essential for Laptops as well!
Why? There are many files we’d like protected, but the programs that created them do not offer password protection.
By using WinZip or PowerArchiver, you can compress & protect everything into one file.
Before I continue, Winzip, now knows the
terminology formally referred to as password protection, as Encryption.
Here is an example to try, see if you can open a zip and then the document within:
Download and Open the Password Protection sample.zip and using WinZip’s Classic View, view the list of the files inside.
You will see that inside the one zip file there are two files. One is password protected, and this is indicated by the + symbol.
Double left click on the “+” file to open
this it within the zip file, and you will be prompted for a password.
The password is test.
This type of file (.zip), can contain as many files as you would like, stored neatly into one zipped file,
a bit like a suit case, but this one will need a password to unlock the shirts.
Laptop computer users: How often do you either leave it open on the table, or at work and are called away, couldn’t anybody have access your personal files? What if it was stolen?
What about having one file on your desktop that contained all of your private/valuable/business type files, and in turn these each were encrypted with a password.
Interested? Would you like to make one?
You will need a zip program like WinZip from www.winzip.com so download and install the trial version if you need it.
Older versions of PowerArchiver are free and can still be downloaded from my site. Most of the instructions below can be applied to using PowerArchiver 6.1 as well.
How to make one?
- Open Winzip from the Desktop icon and click New.
- Give your new zip file a name, and be sure it is Saved In the destination of your choice.
- Tick Encrypt Added Files, this means Password Protect.
- In the Action window choose Move (and Replace files)
- In the Look In window, browse to the file or folders you wish to move to the zip file. Click Move.
- You will be prompted for a Password, enter it twice to proceed.
- Browse to the next file to the next file or click the X to close the zip file when finished.
- All done!
How to Add to an existing one?
- Open the zip file.
- Click Add
- Tick Encrypt Added Files, this means Password Protect.
- In the Action window choose Move (and Replace files)
- In the Look In window, browse to the file or folders you wish to Move to the zip file. Click Move.
- You will be prompted for a Password, enter it twice to proceed.
- Click the X to close the zip file when finished.
- All done!
N.B. If you had only added the files, then the originals would still be available. We want to keep access to these files as “For Your Eyes Only”. Be warned though, if you now delete this zip file, you are deleting the originals as well. Anyone can open this zip file and view the list of files contained within, but they cannot open the + indicated files without a password.
Adding to this file without clicking Encrypt first will result in an unprotected file amongst the protected ones, see the downloadable sample mentioned above.
Happy Computing & Safe Surfing,
Bryan Fletcher.
©GUS June 2006.